United Kingdom: lighthouse authorities

Last modified: 2003-04-26 by rob raeside
Keywords: lighthouse authorities | northern lights | commissioner | trinity house |
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• Trinity House Ensign
• Trinity House Jack
• Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses - Ensign
• Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses - Commissioner's flag
• Scottish Lighthouse Board
• Commissioners of Irish Lights - Ensign
• Commissioners of Irish Lights - Commissioner's flag
• Overseas lighthouses

• United Kingdom
• British ensigns
• History of British ensigns

Strictly speaking I believe this is a house flag, to be hoisted at the bow of the vessel, like the jack on a naval vessel, but it's not a jack as it is not a national flag.
Jose C. Alegria, 1 September 2001

Neubecker, in Flaggenbuch (1939-41), also called it a jack (Gösch).
Ivan Sache, 2 September 2001

According to various editions of Flags of the World the Trinity House Jack is strictly speaking the 'flag of Trinity House' and is normally flown at the masthead to indicate that an Elder Brother is on board on official duty. It should be called 'Jack' only when flown as a diminutive at the jackstaff.
David Prothero, 3 September 2001

Both the master and deputy-master of Trinity House do have their own flags separate from the jack. The master's flag in proportions of 1:2 consists of a Cross of St George on a white field with an 'antique' ship in each canton and a full achievement of arms in the centre. The deputy master's flag is in proportions of 2:3 and instead of the full achievement or arms has a roundel with lion. The jack is in proportions of 4:5 without either arms or roundel. There is also a Red Ensign defaced what is in essence the jack, and a burgee (or cornet).
Christopher Southworth, 28 March 2003

Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses - Commissioner's flag

"Flags of the General Lighthouse Authority for Scotland and the Isle of Man, namely, the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses:
The Board is constituted in accordance with an Act of Parliament passed in 1786. Their flag has a white field, two by one, with the Union Flag (1606 pattern) in the first quarter, and a representation of a lighthouse, in blue, in the fly. There appears to be no record of the date of origin; however, in the absence of the St. Patrick's Cross in the Union, it seems probable that it was adopted before 1801. It is flown at the main masthead when the Commissioners are embarked; in addition, they fly their "Pennant" at the for masthead. The title of the last mentioned is rather misleading in that this flag functions much in the same way as a house-flag or yacht burgee. It is blue and bears a white cross, charched with a very narrow red cross; in the first quarter, the lighthouse in white. The Ensign is the Blue Ensign defaced with the lighthouse in white; this is worn in tenders and flown on lighthouses and depots on shore. It was adopted in 1855."
from: Carr (1961)
Jarig Bakker, 28 August 2001

Am I right in thinking that the Commissioners of Northern Lights flag is the only flag using the "Old Union Jack" (with no red saltire) as a canton?
James Dignan, 18 December 1995

From memory, and possibly this is no longer true, but I think the answer is yes. The Commissioners of Northern Lights is the lighthouse authority of Scotland. According to my trusty Whitaker's the Commissioners of Northern Lights was founded in 1786, which might explain its anachronistic usage.
Roy Stilling, 18 December 1995

The ensign of the Commissioners of Northern Lights is a plain white ensign (no over-all St. George's Cross) with a blue lighthouse in the fly and a pre-1801 Union Flag in the canton. This is used only when a Commissioner is on board one of their vessels. The ensign in regular use is a normal Blue Ensign with a white lighthouse. Northern Lights is the General Lighthouse Authority in Scotland and the Isle of Man. Trinity House is the General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales, Channel Islands and Gibraltar, and responsible for pilotage throughout the UK. Amongst other flags, it has a defaced Red Ensign, which 'ought to be' blue. Until 1864 vessels in the service of certain UK public offices defaced the Red Ensign with the badge of their office. In that year they were directed to transfer the badge to a Blue Ensign. For some reason Trinity House didn't do it and still have their badge of four Elizabethan ships quartered on a rectangular panel, applied to a Red Ensign.
David Prothero, 17 April 1997

United Kingdom governmental offices put their badges on red ensigns until 1864, when they were directed to move them to blue ensigns, and Trinity House for some reason didn't. I read (years ago, in a library book) that Trinity House isn't actually a governmental office, it's a corporation (H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh, Master) unlike the Commissioners of Northern Lights, who are a governmental office. If this is so, it might explain the discrepancy. Is it so?
John Ayer, 15 November 2000

Trinity House is one of those strange parts of the British state which are to all intents part of the state machinery, but not part of the government. It is responsible for Lighthouses and lights in England and Wales. Theoretically it was given overall control of lights in the UK in the 19th century, but that position has always been bitterly opposed by the Commissioners of the Northern Lights (Scotland) and the Commissioners of the Irish Lights (Ireland). They do have a full set of flags, including the mentioned red ensign, a jack, a master's flag and a deputy master's flag. Their ships also use the white ensign when escorting the monarch at sea, by special warrant.
Graham Bartram, 15 November 2000

I have checked today with the Northern Lighthouse Board. NLB vessels fly the blue ensign defaced by a white lighthouse. If a Commissioner is aboard, the similar flag with a white ground and blue lighthouse is flown from the masthead [this is not a "white ensign" as now normally understood as it lacks the red St George's Cross]. In both cases the design incorporates the current Union Flag in the canton - not, as some sources claim, the pre-1801 version without the red saltire of Ireland - though that version must have existed at that time. When the Patron of NLB, The Princess Royal, is aboard her Royal Standard is also flown.
David Prothero, 18 November 2000

Commissioners of Irish Lights - Commissioner's flag

In 1863 the Port of Dublin Corporationm, which was not only the General Lighthouse Authority in Ireland, but also the Corporation for preserving and improving the Port of Dublin, was granted permission to use the Blue Ensign defaced with a badge in the fly. This consisted of a lighthouse on a circular blue background surrounded by a scroll bearing the words "Irish Lights Department". The General Lighthouse Authority became a separate body in accordance with the Dublin Port Act of 1867, and was designated the Commissioners of Irish Lights. At the same time, the design of the badge on the Blue Ensign was changed as shown to that shown above.

The flag of the Commissioners is white, three by two, charged with the red cross of St. George; each quarter comprises a seascape - first and fourth showing a lighthouse on a rock, second and third a lightship, all proper. There seems to be no record of the date of the adoption of this flag. Similar charges, only placed within a circle, are displayed on the blue triangular field bearing the St. George's Cross, of the "Pennant". This is flown at the main masthead, but is replaced with the Commissioners' flag whenever they are embarked. The Commissioners' flag is also flown at all lighthouse stations in the Republic of Ireland; however, those in Northern Ireland fly the Blue Ensign defaced, as described above."
Source: Carr (1961)
Jarig Bakker, 28 August 2001

The Bahama/Sombrero badge was flown by the tender Ana Patricia until about 1971 when it was replaced by the Board of Trade Blue Ensign [Bahamian Symbols by Whitney Smith in The Flag Bulletin XIV:2-3], but the lighthouse at Sombrero, on special occasions, flew the Wheel and Anchor Blue Ensign of the Ministry of Transport, which had taken over the Board of Trade's transport responsibilities in, I think, the early 1950's [Public Record Office document MT 45/580].
David Prothero, 18 November 2000